thomann



5 sheets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

K. THOMANN. y MACHINE FOR DIGGING BEETS, zc.

Patented Oct; Y19

(No Model.) 5 sheetssheet 2. K. THOMANN. MACHINE FOR DIGGING BEETS, &c.

Patented Oct. 19

(No Model.) 5 Sheets- Sheet 5.

K. THOMANN.

MACHINE FOR DIGGING BEETS, &c.

N0. 592,126. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

B i f l ATrE rs.

N-rrn STA-Tes i KARL THoMAriN, oF I-IALLE-oN-THE-sAALE, GERMANY.

VACHINE FOR DIGGING BEETS, 86C.

l SPECIFICATION forming pere ef Lettere Patent Ne. 592,126, dated october 19, 1897.

` Application lcd February 16, 18.97. Serial No. 623,600. (No model.)

T0 LZZ whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that L'KARL'THOMANN, ofl Halleon-the-Saale, in the Kingdom of Saxony i and German Empire, have invented a new and useful Improved Machine for Digging or Raising Roots-such as Beet-Roots, Turnips, and the Like-of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved machine for digging or raising beetroots and the like by means of which the roots are topped, the leaves delivered to one side, and the roots pulled up.

The invention will be described with ref'- erence to the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete machine; Fig. 2, a plan View; Fig. 3, a crosssection of a partially-dismounted fork-wheel; Fig. 4, aA side view of a portion of the forkwheel; Fig. 5, adetail of the fork-wheel; Figs. 6 to 9, various forms of l.construction of the lifters; Figs. 10 to 14, various. views of the topping device; Fig. 15, an elevation, partly in section, of the device for carrying away the severed leaves.

The arrangement is as follows: A cranked shaft 4 is mounted in a longitudinal bar 1,. the front end of which bar carries the fork 2 l of the front wheel 3, the outer axle-pins 5 of the said shaft 4 receiving the rear wheels 6. In the front part of the bar 1 is arranged an arrangement for topping the roots which are to be pulled up, as shown in Figs. 10 to 14 in detail, and behind this topping device` is a device for conveying to one side the leaves which have been cut off, which device is also mounted on the bar 1. On the center part of the cranked shaft 4 are mounted two forkwheels A, the arrangement of which is shown in Figs. 3 to 9. A seat 7 is also arranged on the fore part of the bar 1, on which seat the driver of the` machine can sit and steer the machine by means of a handle 8. The cranked shaft 4 is also provided with a curved piece 9, from which a'chain 10 runs to a winchor winding device 11, mounted on the rear end of the )bar 1, yso that by means of this winch the bent piece 9, andwith it the crank-shaft 4, maybe movedin the direction of the arrow 12, and the whole machine may be raised up to the level of the wheels.

In order to allow of the machine being more easily understood, the three mechanismsnamely, topping device, conveying device,

and fork-wheels--will now be described separately, and their mode of working will also be separately described.

Topping Device.

v ries at each of its ends a hollow guide-piece 14.

A vertically-adj ustable shaft 16 is mounted in the guide-piece 14, which guide-piece is provided with rollers 15, said shaft being guided between the rollers, and having at its lower end a projecting shoe 17. 'lhe rear part of the said shoe is provided with a verticallyadjustable triangular-shaped knife 18. (See plan view of the knife in Fig. 13.) The downward movement of the shaft 1G with the shoe 17 and knife 18 is further supported by spiral springs 19, engagingon the upper part of the shaft. An S-shaped bar 20 is iixed on the front end of the slide-shoe 17 and the upper end of the shaft 16, which bar has for its object to divide the crowns of leaves of the roots and to catch the dry leaves. This S-shaped .bar is omitted in Fig. 11 for the sake of clearness.

As seen from the front, it only forms a straight line. The upper end of the shaft v1b is also provided with an arm 21, bent out in a half-heart form, as shown in Fig. 11. In Fig. 10, for the sake of clearness, the visible arm is partly broken off, and in Fig. 14 such an arm is shown in side view. Both arms form, as shown in Fig. 11, aheart shape. The lower end of each arm 21 is provided with a shoe 22, extending in the form of the slideshoe 17.

The mode of Working of this topping device may be understood from the following: On the machine moving forward the slide-shoe 17 slides over the root 23, Fig. 1, in front of it. The front point of the slide-'shoe 17 and the S-shaped bar 2O vdivide the leaves, and the shoe 17 slides over'the crown of the root until the knife 18 comes in contact Y,with the crown of the root and cuts it off. The rootcrown is simultaneously nicked or slit by the shank 24, Figs. 10 and 13, which is sharpened IOO in front. By the form of slide-shoe 17 it is possible to head, at equal distances from the top, roots which lie deep or stand high, as the sl ide-shoe is pushed u p between two rollers 15 in the guide-piece 14 as far as is necessary. It frequently happens, however, that single roots do not lie in the direct line of movement of the shaft 17, but stand somewhat to one side. In such a case the roots would not be engaged by the slide-shoe 17, and therefore would not be topped. In order to avoid this drawback, two side shoes 22 are employed, so that one or other still engages the roots lying to one side and brings the topping device into a correct position as regards height, and the knife 1S cuts off the root-crown to the desired thickness. In order, however, to allow sufficient room ou the forward movement of the shoe to clear the crown of leaves standing separately, the carriers of the side shoe 22-thatis to say, the arms 21-are formed in a heart shape.

The Root-Conveying Det-icc. j

In Fig. 2, for -the sake of elearness, the drivers seat 7 is omitted. A casing 25 is attached to the bar 1, (see Figs. 1 and 15,) in which casing a shaft 2G, with chain-wheel 27, driven from the fork-wheels, is mounted. In each end of the casing a shaft 2S is arranged, of which the right-hand one stands in communication, by means of a chain 2f), with the chain-wheel 27. Each shaft carries a rollerSO, and over both rollers a chain or belt 31 passes, which is provided with elastic arms By the forward movement of the machine, as hereinafter described, the shaft 26 is set in rotation, and thereby the chain or belt 3l, with its elastic arms 32, is moved in the direction of the arrow 33-that is to say, the severed root-crowns are con veyed out of reach of the fork-wheels mounted in the rear part of the machine.

The Fork- I/Vzecls.

Each fork-wheel consists of two guidepieces 34, mounted on the crank shaft 4, which guide pieces may be adjusted on the shaft-,but are not allowed to rotate. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) On the nave of each guide-piece a flat disk 3G is revolubly arranged, which carries on its inner side several round projections 37, arranged in a circle. In the projections of one disk a revoluble screwbolt 1:8 is mounted, the screw end 3S) of which engages in the projection of the other disk, so that by turning the screw-bolt 3S the two disks may be adjusted with the guide-pieces 34 on the cranked shaft 4 to or from 011e another. On the periphery of each disk 5G, on the inner side, are arranged boxes 40, open to the outside, their side walls having conical or beveled slots 41, normally directed toward the axis. A lifting or grip device, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9, is inserted between each two boxes. The gripping devices 42 may, as shown in Figs. Gand 7, consist of broad spades,

while the spade-shaped part 43, as appears in Fig. G, is shaped in cross-section like a lens. The gripping device may, however, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, be fork-shaped, the crosspiecc 44 of the fork being, as shown in Fig. E), also lens-shaped-that is to say, sharpened off to both sides-and the fork-tines-i being triangular. rIlhe object of this is to prevent stones, elods of earth, and dry leaves or weeds from becoming fast between the fork-tines. The shank or shaft 46 of cach gripper device is provided at both sides with a pin 47, and at its end with a slide-roller 4S. The gripper is mounted with the pins 47 in the conical. or beveled slits 41 between each two boxes 4i).

In order to prevent any springing or fall ing out of the digging, lifting, or gripping devices, they are provided at the sides with two lateral flanges 49, over which engage cover-plates 50, fixed'on the periphery of the cheeks or disks 3G between the gripper devices. (See Fig. 4.) In this manner, in case a gripper device be damaged, it may be replaced without dismounting the fork-wheel itself.

In order to prevent the penetration of dirt into the interior of the fork-wheel, each disk 36 is provided with a cylindrical easing 51, both of which maybe adjusted telescopically one into the other. The slide-rollers 4S travel in curved grooves 52 on the guide-pieces The guide-pieces are se formed and mounted that the grooves 52 segaratc at ll, Figs. 1 and 5-that is to say, at this moment 'the gripper elements are moved against one anotherthat is to say, locked. 'lhey penetrate the earth on the forward movement of the machine and stick laterally into the earth, press the latter against the root which is to be lifted, and partially draw it out on the forward movement of the machine. If the machine has moved so far forward that the pair of gripper devices which hold under the root have reached the point D, Fig. 1, the gripper devices are gradually opened, as the grooves 52 from this point gradually commence to approach. Frein the point I) up to ll the grooves 52 run parallel-that is to say, the gripper devices remain open. If smaller roots are to be lifted, the two disks 36 are some what separated, so that the outer ends of the gripper elements approach one another rather more. The latter are arranged so closely to one another that even the smallest roots cannot slip through between two adjacent parts. In order to be able to remove or interchange the gripper devices, it is necessary to remove the slide-rollers 48. For this object openings capable of being closed with covers are arranged in the disks, so that the hand can be passed into the interior of the fork-wheel.

The disks 36, which stand opposite one another, of both fork-wheels are, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, provided with a projection 54, over which the projections of easing 55, attached to the bar 1, engage. One of the forkwheels A is provided with a circular rack 56,

IOO

TIO

which drives the shaft 26 by means of a bevelwheel 57, mounted on said shaft. The cylindrical casing 55, in which simultaneously the other end of the shaft 26 may be mounted, has for its object to shut off the interior between the two fork-wheels and prevent the penetration of earth into the gearing. The two fork-wheels may be also adjusted on the crank-shaft 4 in case the rows of roots stand at different distances apart. In such a case it is necessary to make also the casing 55 telescopically adjustable. In order to facilitate the penetration of the gripping devices into the earth, two adjustable equally-toothed knives 58 may be arranged on the casing 25 of the leaf-conveying device, which knives have for their object to loosen the earth.

The machine may be provided with only one or more than two fork-wheels. The machine may also work without the topping and throwing or conveying devices, both of these mechanisms being removed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a root-digging machine provided with fork-wheels, the combination with said forkwheels, of a top-conveying device, consisting of a casing attached to the frame of the machine, a chain-wheel mounted in said casing on a shaft operated by said fork-wheels, a shaft mounted in each end of the casing, a wheel carried by one of said shafts and connected by a power-chain with said chainwheel, a wheel carried by the other shaft, and a conveying-band provided with elastic arms connecting the latter two wheels, substantially as set forth.

2. In a root-digging machine, a topping device constructed of a bracket attached to the vframe of the machine, a hollow guide-piece at each end of said bracket and provided with guide-rollers, a vertically-adjustable shaft mounted in said guide-piece, and a projecting shoe at the lower end of said shaft carrying a knife, substantially as set forth.

5. In a root-digging machine, a topping del vice consisting of a bracket, a hollow guideed on said shaft and provided with camgrooves, a disk revolubly mounted on the nave of each guide-piece and provided with proj -ection-s, adjusting screw-bolts working in said projections, slotted boxes arranged on the periphery of said disks, a lifting or gripping device mounted in said boxes, and a slide-roller mounted on the end of the shaft of the said gripping device and adapted to work in the cam-grooves of the said guidepieces,substan tially as set forth.

5. In a root digging or raising machine, the combination of fork-wheels, comprising two guide -pieces adjustable on a fixed shaft, grooves formed on their periphery, two revoluble disks simultaneously adjustable toward or away from one another with the guidepieces, the periphery of said disks being provided` with boxes open to the outside, and standing inward, a gripper or lifting device mounted between each two of said boxes, and a pin on said gripper resting in slots in said boxes, said gripper having a shank projecting into the fork-wheel and carrying a roller engaging with one of the guide-pieces, whereby the gripping devices are moved against one another by means of the guide-pieces by the rotation of the disks, and whereby the gripping devices may be suitably adj usted to correspond to the size of the roots to be raised, substantially as set forth.

6. In a root-digging machine, the combination of the fork-wheels provided with disks, gripping devices carried by said disks, flanges attached to the shank of said gripping devices, and cover-plates arranged on the pe` riphery of said disks and engaging over the anges of the gripping devices, whereby said gripping devices may be changed without dismounting the fork-wheels, substantially as set forth.

7. In a root-digging machine, the combination of the fork-wheels provided with disks and a telescopically-adjustable casing between said disks for preventing the penetration of dust into the interior of the forkwheels, substantially as set forth.

8. In a root-digging machine, a gripper or lifting device consisting of an entering part having the cross-section of a lens, a shaft, a guide-roller on the end of said shaft, trans# verse pins integral with said shaft and lateral flangeson said shaft above said pins, substantially as set forth. f'

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

' KARL THOMANN. Witnesses:

PAUL SCHULZ,

lino RoJEwsKL IOO 

